BOB SLOSSER

Nothing Evil Catches the Lord
by Surprise

By Bob SlosserCBN.com Columnist

CBN.com
 Osama bin Laden showed himself inside out on television
Sunday shortly after the United States sent forces into Afghanistan
to punish the cruel leaders of that impoverished land, not the Afghan
people themselves. The Taliban, which harbors bin Laden and his
infamous network of terrorists and lies about it, and the terrorists
themselves were the targets. One weeps at the inevitability of suffering
by the common people, who may be trapped in the crossfire or else
abused by the ugly Taliban, who probably will use them as shields.

Bob Schieffer of CBS News undressed bin Laden immediately after
seeing the video the conceited monster sent out. He was amazed
at the terrorists ignorance of his enemy, the U.S. and its
freedoms. Bin Laden doesnt begin to understand freedom,
especially of religion and speech. Americans dont pray and
worship God, he said. Shoot them, he added. Furthermore, they
say anything they want to, he said. Stop them! How do you like
those freedoms, folks? Thats the foundation of evil. The
Big Lie, just like Satan; then destruction, brutality, murder.
No wonder everyone around him is scared all the time. Fear is
the name of the game.

Schieffer, a nice Texan (oxymoron?) who is a terrific newsman
but has too many friends who are Democrats -- nailed bin Laden
perfectly. He is evil. Let me assure you that the Lord is not
afraid. Hes had a lot of practice, remember. The Bible talks
a lot about evil in its closing pages. I am only observing. It
also talks a lot about it  its origin, for example 
in the very early pages. Im centering on the early pages.

After the creation, man -- who started out in His image and was
pronounced "very good" when surveyed with everything
-- turned sour, as God knew he would. Still, He was disappointed
and broken-hearted.

First there was the Fall, which Satan brought about directly
and Eve and Adam responded directly. The first pair knew they
were guilty, and they committed mankinds first effort to
cover up sin themselves by making shoddy leaf-coverings (Genesis
3:7, NIV). It didnt work. Notice it was God who made skins
of living creatures to clothe their shame.

Time went on, and matters got out of hand. Mankind got worse
and more. Cain slew Abel, a man of faith (Hebrews 11:4) -- through
deceit, anger, and jealousy, because Abels gift pleased
God more than his. But the time came when Eve bore another son,
Seth  one "in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."
And Seth in due time bore Enosh, who, since Cain was alienated,
could carry on the family line. Enoshs name, like Adams,
meant man. And, the Bible says tersely, "Men began to call
on the name of the Lord" (Genesis 4:25-26).

But, remember, Cain, whose sin was virtually nonstop impiety,
also had children and grandchildren, and they spelled trouble,
especially Lamech, a haughty man who multiplied his wives and
brought polygamy into history, contrary to Gods intention.
He also killed a man for wounding him. Recalling God had said
Cain was to be avenged seven times should anyone kill him, Lamech
bragged that he was to be avenged "seventy-seven times."
And he was only injured.

This might be a time to note that Osama bin Laden, with 50 siblings,
himself has four wives. It is also only fair to note that Lamechs
first son was Noah, from whom the world after the flood is descended.
Noah, of course, was "a righteous man" who "walked
with God" (Genesis 5:28-29 & 6:17).

Before telling Noah to get busy, "God saw how great mans
wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."
I believe God may have felt similarly on September 11. In Noahs
time God "was grieved that He had made man on the earth and
His heart was filled with pain." He decided to wipe mankind
and all creatures from the earth (Genesis 6:5-7). Then Noah "found
favor in the eyes of the Lord," and you know that story.

But, guess what? After the flood and the arrogance of the Tower
of Babel in Shinar -- the land of southern Mesopotamia, later
known as Babylonia (remember Babylon?) or Chaldea  wouldnt
you think the people of the world would be straightened out? Ask
bin Laden.

No, God first said he would "never again . . . curse the
ground because of man" or "destroy all living creatures,
as I have done." Nonetheless, He said "every inclination"
of mans heart "is evil from childhood" (Genesis
8:21b). Can you believe it? Mans evil was still there even
though mankind was virtually wiped out. And it is still here today.
Man wants to run the other way from where God is going. Yes, he
does, good people. It cannot be denied.

True, not everyone is Osama bin Laden, but we all, until turning
to and receiving the grace of God, want to do it our way. Sadly,
too many become bin Laden followers and supporters.

But, beloved, rampant evil has been handled before by God, and
it still can be. What we need is revival throughout the world.
The Lord has not told me yet that revival definitely is coming
soon, but I sure go along with it and will work as hard as I can
to do what God wants. In the words of A.W. Tozer, a giant of a
leader: